1. Field of the Invention
The invention is in the field of wireless communications technology, in particular cellular phone technology and peer-to-peer networking technology.
2. Description of the Related Art
Modern cellular phones, Smartphones, and other mobile handheld wireless computerized communications devices are designed to establish communications links between the phone's wireless cellular transceiver, and one or more cellular phone service base stations or “towers”. Thus a call from one cell phone to another typically must be by way of these one or more cellular towers, in which a wireless cellular phone signal first proceeds from cell phone “A” to a first cell tower, the destination analyzed and the call routed by the cellular phone company infrastructure, and the call is then often relayed to a second cell tower, and hence to cell phone “B”.
By contrast, traditional walkie-talkies were oriented towards establishing direct wireless communications between a first walkie-talkie and a second walkie-talkie, and this connection could proceed without the need of any intervening cell towers or base stations.
Recently, Swedish company TerraNet has introduced the concept of using peer-to-peer technology that enables users to speak on its handsets without the need for a mobile phone cell tower or base station. These handsets may be adapted to work as peers that can route data or calls for other phones in the network. The handsets also serve as nodes between other handsets, extending the reach of the entire system. This concept has met with some interest for potential third-world applications.
In addition to situations where the existing cellular phone infrastructure is chronically weak or non-existent, other emergency situations can occur where a formerly robust cellular phone infrastructure suddenly becomes problematic or absent altogether. For example, certain natural disasters, such as large earthquakes, hurricanes and the like can act to knock out a previously adequate cellular phone network. Alternatively, there can be man-made disasters or situations, such as terrorist attack, or government sponsored political suppression, where again a previously adequate cellular phone network and/or internet access can suddenly be cut off.